Recycling 101

Another important step on the zero waste journey is to know not only which recyclables can be recycled but how they should be prepared for recycling. Whether you live in an apartment or a home, I strongly urge you to contact your sanitation service provider to confirm what you think you know about their recycling practices. If they use a transferring company call them up too to get an even clearer picture. It’s worth your time and effort to know for sure if your recyclables are really getting recycled.

I was surprised to learn that my recyclables were being collected at a facility that didn’t accept magazines, glass, or plastics 3-7. After learning that, I began hunting around for a better carting company. I contacted my local municipal, and learned that they accepted some magazines, all glass, and plastic number 1, 2, and 5. That was a little more comprehensive. Another company I reached out to didn't even know which number plastics they recycled. Ugh! So, I settled for the municipality option and every two weeks I bring my recyclables to my local recycling center. They even recycle thin film plastics (so they claim).

Those are the issues I face in my community, and I won't be discouraged that my options aren’t foolproof; it just reaffirms my commitment to my zero waste journey. Now, that I know what's in my trash and what is and isn’t recyclable near me I can elevate my zero waste goals. Questions like: What reusable alternatives for non-recyclable materials are there? Can I buy a product in glass instead of plastic? Can I buy it in bulk? Can I make it myself at home? Can I buy it from a specialty shop or farmers market to avoid the packaging? Can I live without it? All good questions to consider.

As a zero waste principle, recycling should be done only when you can’t refuse or reduce the waste. It’s not the zero waste mindset to buy whatever we want because we can just recycle it later. Recycling causes waste; these days there’s no such guarantee recyclables will be recycled. I can’t say with 100% certainty that all my recyclables are being recycled. According to National Geographic,

Of the 78 million metric tons of plastic packaging produced globally each year, a mere 14 percent is recycled. Lightweight and floatable, plastic that escapes collection flows into our oceans—nine million tons annually—most of it from developing nations that lack the infrastructure to manage it.

At the same time, we still need recycling and we need a better system and better guarantee. Not everyone has access to alternatives, has the knowledge to make an educated choice, or can afford to make the swaps. Until companies become liable for the waste their products create, the burden and costs to dispose of these products lies on the consumer—us!